Earth to Humans

Earlier this year, I got an email from a listener that stood out.  It read, Listening to your podcast in college help me realize I wanted to get into filmmaking rather than field biology because I agree SO much with your viewpoints and the reasons you got into wildlife filmmaking. Holy shit!  I thought.  We had altered the course of someone’s life with this podcast! His name is Zach Steinhauser, and he had already begun working on his first film by the time he reached out with that email.  I responded right away to set up a conversation - there was a sense of responsibility that I had never felt before - I wanted to help ensure that Zach’s project was successful. Now I’ve fielded many calls like this from aspiring filmmakers, but this one was different, and not just because Zach was crediting this podcast as his inspiration.  Zach reached out at a time when we were re-assessing the strategic plan for our organization, Wild Lens.  You may have heard about this on the episode we released a few months back - episode 153. In a nutshell - we had decided to re-structure the organization as a collective, and to place a heavier focus on creating a network of collaboration and support for people working at the intersection of conservation and media arts.  Zach was exactly the type of person we wanted to help - so I asked if I could record our conversation for an episode of the show. Zach's film is about a topic if particular interest to me - purple martin conservation.  Purple martins are cavity nesters, like the subjects of my film Bluebird Man, but unlike bluebirds they are completely reliant on man made nesting boxes for their survival throughout most of their range.  Zach seeks to explore this relationship between humans and the purple martin in his new film, Purple Haze. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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“She was looking for another member of her own kind, and there was never a response.”   Meet Mike Phillips, co-founder and Executive Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund and co-founder and adviser to the Turner Biodiversity Division. Mike knows wolves. His work with them began in the 80s where his big break coordinating the Red Wolf Recovery Program. In 1994 he became Project Leader for Yellowstone’s Gray Wolf Restoration. Mike is also an adviser to the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project. Oh, and he’s a Montana State Senator While Mike’s experience is rich and impressive, his way of speaking is humble and accessible. Listen to hear how Mike Phillips defines success and appeals to our better senses to embrace our inner ecological senses. Learn more about the work Mike and his colleagues are doing to save endangered species at www.tesf.org and visit the website www.rockymountainwolfproject.org. You can email Mike at [email protected]. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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The chambered nautilus is the only living descendant of a group of ocean creatures that thrived in the seas 500 million years ago when the earth’s continents were still forming. Older than the dinosaurs, these deep sea dwellers are often referred to as the oldest living fossils. But, after withstanding countless challenges, they are being sought after for their beauty and dwindling toward extinction. A young activist and several curious scientists traveled to Fiji recently on an expedition to learn more about this ancient animal and how to save it. Gianna Savoie traveled with them to capture some of the story of this threatened ancient animal and the work being done to rescue it. I spoke with this filmmaker and founder of Ocean Media Institute, a non-profit conservation organization based in Bozeman, MT, to learn more about their adventure and her work as a science storyteller on behalf of the ocean. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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Today on the show we are going to learn about how one city is taking responsibility for the trash that it produces, and setting a global example for how to stop plastic waste from entering our oceans. That city is Baltimore, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to chat with one of the key figures behind Baltimore’s campaign to clean up their waterways - Adam Lindquist.  Adam works for the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore where he serves as the director of the Healthy Harbor Initiative.  Listen in to the episode to learn how Adam and others are using Mr. Trash Wheel, and a variety of other initiatives to clean up Baltimore's harbor and improve the lives of those who live in the city. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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On today’s episode of the show, I interview a woman who has inspired me and many people like me to embrace themselves in outdoor spaces and find community even when its not always easy.  Her name is Rue Mapp, and she is the CEO and founder of Outdoor Afro, a not-for-profit organization founded in Oakland, California that is at the forefront of celebrating and inspiring African American connections in nature. Outdoor Afro represents a network across 30 states, challenging and changing representation in the outdoors and connecting thousands of people to outdoor experiences. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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Last week I took a trip. In the Rocky Mountains, Northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado, just past Bellvue. I wasn’t very equipped. Welcome to Eyes on Conservation. I’m Gregory Haddock. Today you will hear part 1 of a 2-part series on protecting and conserving wolves and their legacy in the Rocky Mountains. W.O.L.F Sanctuary is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and rescuing as many of the large number of wolves and wolf-dogs raised in captivity. These animals were saved from a larger pool of exotic animals in the United States - either given up or euthanized. Michelle Proulx has worked with the W.O.L.F. (Wolves Offered Life and Friendship) Sanctuary most of her adult life. Other than being a hero to animals that would otherwise be headed for much tragic endings, Michelle and the others at the sanctuary consider themselves first and foremost educators. For more information on Michelle and the work she and the rest of the team at W.O.L.F. Sanctuary are doing – you can check out their website and great resources at www.wolfsanctuary.net. You can find out more about the show on the show note’s page at Wildlensinc.org/eoc159. Stay tuned for part II of this story when I speak with Mike Phillips, Director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund, former Field Coordinator for the Red Wolf Recovery Program and former Project Leader of Greater Yellowstone’s gray wolf restoration project. Show music is brought to you by The Humidors. If you liked today’s episode, please consider checking out The Majority Villain Podcast – a podcast I host and produce – dedicated to democratizing the planet politically and ecologically. Thanks for listening today to Eyes on Conservation. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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For her feature-length film, Sea of Life, the ever-talented Julia Barnes interviewed scientists and activists working to save the ocean and shared an interview with Callum Roberts with Eyes on Conservation. Callum is a marine conservationist, oceanographer, author and researcher based at York University. Julia spoke with Callum about human impacts on the ocean, going back through the history of fishing and looking towards the future of ocean conservation. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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Today’s episode is about drones.  I spoke with the founders of an organization called Oceans Unmanned about how they are using drones to assist in conducting biological research, as well as how they are working to reduce wildlife disturbance from drones. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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To have or not to have children, that is a most vexing question and one I wrestled with personally during my 30s. A career in conservation and, in particular, being steeped in issues of climate change, firmly planted me on the fence on the issue. After all, how could I bring a life into this doomed world? At the same time, I witnessed nature’s resilience first-hand, opening the possibility of hope for the future, so maybe a new life could thrive and contribute to making the world an even better place. Then I hit 40 and was quietly relieved that nature had made the decision for me and that answer was: “No.” That is until it wasn’t anymore. I have no idea what changed, but suddenly my husband and I were expecting. And my world flipped. Matt Podolsky and I chatted about this flip and the curious business of having and raising a conscientious child that makes a positive contribution to the world and how finding answers to these questions lead to the idea for a new podcast. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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Today we are welcoming back our guest from episode 92 of the show - Nate Dappen.  Nate is a filmmaker focused on telling stories about science and conservation, and he has a new film, just released this week, called “the Passage”. The Passage is a bit of a departure from Nate’s typical storytelling style - it’s a deeply personal story focused on the importance of family and explores what it’s like for him to watch his parents age. Join private conversations with top authors and access exclusive bonus content!

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